Doublethink: New Light and Faithful Discreet Slave Doctrines

by M.J. 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  M.J.

  JWs say that "the light gets brighter" because the understanding of their leadership is not perfect (not completely correct) and is constantly subject to revision. One might ask, if the teachings are Bible Based ™ , how can they be subject to revision? Because the Bible doesn't give explicit directives/commentary on every question of life we may encounter. Such matters must be inferred from what the Bible does comment on. This is interpretation. Such interpretation is done by humans, who despite thier most honest attempts could very well get things wrong. So why aren't present teachings which are not explicit in the Bible but inferred through fallible human interpretation qualified as such when they are put forth? For instance, the bible says nothing about blood transfusions. Why does the Society ban transfusions of four particular components of blood without qualifying this stance as fallible--particularly since this is a life and death issue?
  This is because the implications of the NEW LIGHT doctrine are not meant to apply to present teaching. The doctrine is only meant to apply to past teaching.

  Present teaching falls under a different doctrine, the doctrine of the Faithful Discreet Slave. When a JW views present teaching he must acknowledge that it comes straight from God via the FDS and that for all intents and purposes it is just as if the Bible stated the teaching explicitly. IT IS INFALLIBLE.

  So there you have it, folks. A classic example of Orwellian doublethink: What the WTS says is fallible. What the WTS says is infallible.
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  tetrapod.sapien

  yes, this was one of the initial questions i had before i started deconversion. it was probably one of the few catalysts.

  another thought i had was: how could they get it wrong if they really had god on their side? i mean, this is supposed to be the most important and "urgent" period in human history right? and god loves people and wants all to be saved right? WHY would he allow them to keep getting stuff wrong?

  after realizing that they obviously don't have god, i couldn't help but feel like the biggest idiot. it's so obvious!
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  TheListener

  Good point MJ.

  This is something I run into frequently. Most dubs will say (whatever the issue may be) 'oh that's just a small thing, it doesn't affect everlasting life.' Yet, they'll turn around and tell someone that if they're faithful in the small things that they may not be faithful in the large things - so do everything the FDS tells you.

  the new light doctrine is something that really frustrates me. The typical WTS answer is that even the Israelites and apostles had things wrong and received correction. One of my comebacks has been yes, but the apostles were 2,000 years from the end of the system. We're living in the last days trying to save everyone possible, getting things wrong now isn't acceptable.

  Having to believe everything presented as it is presented with no questions asked is the WTS standard. They don't even bother to tell you half the time when the light changes on a subject. They just print whatever the current viewpoint is and if you don't know enough history or don't research it the point you can totally miss that the understanding has changed.
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  mustang

  If you ran a chronological summary of JW literature and used red CHANGE MARKERS, the commentary would bleed to death!!!

  Mustang
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  Check_Your_Premises

  I have recently asked how their doctrine Jesus' return in 1874 and 1914 can be rectified with the following verse:
  

  Matthew 24:23-26 23 "Then if anyone says to YOU, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24
  For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. 25
  Look! I have forewarned YOU. 26
  Therefore, if people say to YOU, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner chambers,’ do not believe it
  

  First of all it explicitly says that anyone who claims Christ has returned is not to be believed.

  Now if we put that aside, we still have to deal with the fact that by their own admission that Christ returned in 1914, that they falsely claimed he returned in 1874. By their own admission they claim Christ returned when He did not, and therefore they exhibited behavior that Christ used to describe "false prophets".

  Now any JW worth his salt will tell you that, "the path of the righteous will get brighter" (and if he is any good he will slip the phrase "in the end times" for good measure even though it doesn't say that)

  But here is the question, even if we assume that "new light" verse means what they say it does, the path gets brighter for the righteous. Not people who act like false prophets!

  Maybe I will get an answer tonight?

  CYP

  Censer Watchtower esse delendam

  slow-steady-deliberate-relentless
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  Pole

  Nice point, M.J..
  
  As a doubting JW I used to think at times: "The light may be dim and flickering but it's still the best source of light out there 'cause it's the FDS who's distributing it."
  
  LOL.
  
  Kind of the way you put it.
  
  Pole
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  greendawn

  Religious truth should be always correct and valid and not in constant need of change as the GB do, and make a mockery of God their supposed guide and men who accept their nonsense.
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  potleg

  How could an organization that claims to be so "right" be PROVED so "wrong" so many times? If God is directing them why has he led them down so many wrong roads and dead ends? Did God really want people to suffer and DIE because "old light" was incorrect?
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  Panda

  Truth in religion. Isn't that an oxymoron? Religion is not proveable. Truth as facts are mutable yet as theory proveable. There isn't any theory in religion, it's a belief system. That said, the rank and file dubs are allowing themselves (and that used to include me) to accept opinions and relative (to the GB) personal ideas as facts (or truth). Truth doesn't rely on any persons interpretation. Truth is facts not belief. The GB may believe that Jesus returned sometime in the 19th or 20th centuries; yet this is not proveable; JWs accept this concept or ideology as fact when it's just belief.